12.19.2004

Sushi

From left to right: Inside out Cucumber Avocado Roll drizzled with teriyaki sauce, Cucumber Roll, Avocado Nigiri, and Spicy Ginger Tempeh Roll. People always assume "Sushi" means fish. Actually it refers to the way the rice is prepared which is nice to hear as a vegetarian. Apparently good sushi is all in the rice. I've made it before and broken a lot of the rice cooking rules and it never works out the way it's supposed to. This time I really followed the directions and had wonderful results. Nori (the seaweed sheets) can be purchased at Whole Foods and even sometimes at regular grocery stores in the asian food section. It's pretty easy to work with as there are always directions on the back of the pack. Buy ones that say they are "toasted." The fillings for this sushi are from The Post Punk Kitchen but I altered them a bit. The spicy tempeh roll that I made also contained a sliced of cucumber and some sauteed ginger and garlic. That really made it excellent. If you are interested in making sushi do a little research on the internet. You also will need a bamboo rolling mat, also available online and at asian food stores. They are super cheap. The sushi I made was so much better than at restaurants because the veggies had so much more flavor. They were just fresher. The cucumber roll is made with a hothouse or english cucumber that is peeled and cut into long thin sticks. So delicious. To made the California Roll inside out the way I did do a search online to see how to roll it this way. (Search "inside out sushi roll") Enjoy!

Rice Instructions

Make sure to use only Sushi Rice (short grain white, will be labeled as for sushi)

Wash the rice several times until the water is clear. Move to a colander and drain for 30 min. Transfer the rice to a heavy pot or electric rice cooker and add the measured water. Make sure there is a tight-fitting lid and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat allowing the rice to steam for 15 minutes more with the cover on at all times. Never lift the cover! Now remove from the heat, remove the lid momentarily to stretch a clean tea towel over the pot and replace the cover. Let it remain covered and without heat to finish steaming for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt together in a small saucepan. While stirring, heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Set aside the mixture to cool to room temperature. After the rice has steamed properly, take a wooden spatula or spoon and cut and fold the rice. Do not use beating or stirring motions as you want to avoid smashing the grains.

Place rice in a large glass bowl and quickly add the seasoned rice vinegar solution. Mix with the same cutting and folding motion. After mixing, fan the hot rice mixture (or use a little portable fan) in order to remove moisture as well as to cool it. This should take about 10 minutes. The rice grains will have a nice sheen. The result will be ideal sushi rice with a slightly chewy consistency and just a touch of stickiness.

To learn how to make the rolls visit The Post Punk Kitchen where you can find video of their show on sushi making. After you have rolled the sushi you cut it with a very sharp serrated knife. Make sure to rinse the knife between each cut or it'll be smooshing all over. The rice has a way of getting starch all over the knife, making it not cut well.